Macb. To-morrow,—as he purposes.

Lady M. 0, never Shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men May read strange matters. To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent

flower, But be the serpent under it. He that's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night's great business into my despatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.

Macb. We will speak further.

Lady M. Only look up clear;
To alter favour ever is to fear:
Leave all the rest to me.

[Exeunt.

Lady M.

Your servants ever Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in

compt, To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, Still to return your own.

Dun. Give me your hand; Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess.

[Ereunt.

SCENE VII.— The same. A Room in the Castle.

Enter Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, BANQUO, Lenox, Macduff, Rosse, Angus, f. Attendants.

Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses.

Ban. This guest of summer, The temple-haunting martlet, does approve, By his loved mansionry, that the heaven's breath Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze, Buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle: Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed The air is delicate.

Hautboys and torches. Enter and pass over the

stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then enter Macbeth. Macb. If it were done when 't is done, then

't were well It were done quickly. If the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust : First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed: then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off: And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself, And falls on the other-How now, what news?

Enter Lady Macbeth. Dun. See, see! our honoured hostess ! The love that follows us sometime is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you shall bid God yield us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble. Lady M.

All our service In every point twice done, and then done double, Were

poor and single business, to contend Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith Your majesty loads our house. For those of old, And the late dignities heaped up to them, We rest your hermits.

Dun. Where's the thane of Cawdor? We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose To be his purveyor: but he rides well; And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess, We are your guest to-night.

Enter Lady Macbeth. Lady M. He has almost supped: Why have

you left the chamber? Macb. Hath he asked for me? Lady M. Know you not he has ? Macb. We will proceed no further in this

business : He hath honoured me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

Lady M.

Was the hope drunk
Wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem;
Letting “I dare not " wait upon “I would,”
Like the poor cat i’ the adage ?

Macb. Pr'y thee, peace :
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none.

Lady M. What beast was it, then,
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both :
They have made themselves, and that their fit-

Macb. If we should fail, -
Lady M.

We fail !
But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we 'll not fail! When Duncan is asleep
(Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey
Soundly invite him), his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel so convince,
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only. When in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you

and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy

officers? who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell.

Macb. Bring forth men-children only! For thy undaunted metal should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be received, When we have marked with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, That they have done 't?

Lady M. Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death?

Macb. I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

[Exeunt.

ness now

Does unmake you. I have given suck; and know
How tender 't is to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn
As you have done to this.

Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy

pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his de

sign Moves like a ghost.- Thou sure and firm set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear The very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he

lives : Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

[A bell rings. I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell. [Exit.

SCENE II.—The same.

Enter Macbeth, and a Servant with a torch. Who's there?

Macb. A friend.
Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The King's

a-bed:
He hath been in unusual pleasure, and
Sent forth great largess to your officers :
This diamond he greets your wife withal,
By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
In measureless content.

Macb. Being unprepared,
Our will became the servant to defect;
Which else should free have wrought.

Вап. . All's well.
I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters :
To you they have shewed some truth.

Macb. I think not of them :
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
Would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.
Ban.

At your kindest leisure.
Macb. If you shall cleave to my consent,

when 't is,
It shall make honour for

you.
Ban. So I lose none
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised, and allegiance clear,
I shall be counselled.
Macb. Good

repose

the while. Ban. Thanks, sir; the like to you.

[Exit Banduo. Macb. Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is

ready, She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

[Exit Servant. Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me

clutch thee:I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind : a false creation, Proceeding from the heat oppresséd brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going ; And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o'the other senses, Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still; And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before.—There's no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes.—Now o'er the one half world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtained sleep; now witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings; and withered murder, Alarumed by his sentinel, the wolf,

Enter LADY MACBETH. Lady M. That which hath made them drunk,

hath made me bold : What hath quenched them, hath given me fire.

Hark! Peace ! It was the owl that shrieked; the fatal bellman, Which gives the stern’st good-night. He is

about it: The doors are open; and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with snores: I have

drugged their possets, That death and nature do contend about them, Whether they live or die.

Macb. [within.] Who's there? what, ho!

Lady M. Alack! I am afraid they have awaked, And 't is not done:—the attempt, and not the deed, Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss them.-Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done 't.—My husband ?

Enter Macbeth. Macb. I have done the deed. Didst thou not

hear a noise ? Lady M. I heard the owl scream, and the

crickets cry. Did you

not speak? Macb. When ? Laily M.

Now. Macb.

As I descended ?
Lady M. Ay.

Macb. Hark!
Who lies i' the second chamber?
Lady M.

Donalbain.
Macb. This is a sorry sight.

[Looking on his hands. Lady M. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. Macb. There's one did laugh in his sleep, and